- The classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Real Princess” is better known as “The Princess and the” what?
- Fill in the blank: 1/10 is to ten percent as 1/4 is to what percent?
- How many teaspoons are in five tablespoons?
- If a car is traveling at 40 MPH, how long will it take to go 190 miles?
- What revolutionary leader wrote the influential “Common Sense” in 1776?
How’d you do on our test? It should be noted, the number of the question is the grade level. A lot of us just failed 1st grade. If you’re dying to have the actual answers, they are at the bottom of this blog post.
Who enjoys or has watched the show Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? How many are shocked at how little you know? The question is not, are you smarter than a 5th grader though, it’s are you dumber than a 5th grader. The answer, no. No, you are not dumber than a 5th grader. The truth is, we all knew those answers at some point but we’ve gone through a lot of life since then and have stopped applying a lot of the knowledge we learned in 5th grade.
When we stop applying a certain knowledge, it’s not long before we forget about it. We do this with 1st-grade reading, 3rd-grade math, 5th-grade history, and unfortunately, we can also do it with the word of God.
My fear is that this is what we’ve done during this odd season. During this season, we may have felt anxieties, stresses, and loneliness that we thought we had gotten rid of. We may be questioning the promises of God because we aren’t experiencing the peace we thought He promised. We aren’t as calm as those around us, we aren’t as in control as others, we’re not as put-together as them next door. God, where is your peace?
Is it possible that God has not withdrawn His peace or His promises but we’ve simply stopped applying them? Just like 5th-grade math, we’ve forgotten what it felt like to know His peace and we’re stepping into moments of doubt and destruction.
If so, stop. Read this: (Don’t skip or skim it, read every word, and put yourself in the shoes of the Disciples. What’s the atmosphere like in the room? How do they feel about what Jesus is saying? What would it be like to not know the end of the story and have been standing there on this day? How would you feel?”
“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come, but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”
31 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Jesus gives these disciples some bad news. I’m leaving and you’re going to be hunted down and killed. This is a bad day. But we see in verse 30, they begin to apply what Jesus said and this led them to believe Jesus came from God and led them to peace.
If you are struggling right now, I would read this chapter and really focus on applying verse 33. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” You can have peace today because He has overcome the world. He did say in this world you will have trouble, there will be bad days. There will be struggle, there will be moments of weakness, there will be seasons of wickedness but you and I can have everlasting peace in His name because He has overcome the world.
If you feel distant from God if you feel betrayed by God or ignored by God. Take a moment and apply His word. Sit down with your bible, get into the book of John, and read the promises of Jesus and apply them to your life.
Prayer
Father, today I come to you in need of your peace, in need of your strength, in need of your protection. Lay your hand of protection on me, help me to feel the comfort that only you can provide. Father, lead me where you will me to go. Help me to walk where you lead with absolute faith, rid any doubt from my heart, and remove the weakness from this body.
Jesus today, I want to follow you. I am weak but you are strong. Help my unbelief, help me to know, in moments of weakness that you have overcome this world.
Jesus, it’s hard but today I will follow you. Today I will trust your peace. Today I will smile because I know the joy that comes from your grace.
Amen.
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